Less Alcohol - FEBRUARY 2021 - One Day At A Time
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@Tesha231 maybe my husband was inspired by your posts? I would agree with you that we are gaining everything by drinking less. Our brains are wired to not like any deprivation so why not focus 100% on the benefit?
@CryingBlue perfect plan, to get up fast and get back towards following your goals......rooting for you....
@CMB44512 AHA your recipe looks like mine BUT I am missing the celery salt and I brown the meat. I will try yours next. Thanks for the recipe!!!
Side note about nationalities: I find it funny if you go to Europe and someone asks you, what nationality you are, an American won't say "American". I would say "Euro-Mix", which for me is Iberian/German/French/Irish/Sardinian, according to my gene test. The reply I get is "no, impossible for you to be European, if you were born in the US, you are "American".....LOL6 -
Had a friend over for dinner (Indian! yum!), and had two full glasses of wine. OMG did I feel it. No micro sips, it went down way too easily. Of course didn’t sleep well last night and my weight was up this morning. Will be AF tonight for sure.
I am so thankful that my tolerence has dropped significantly from what I used to be able to consume. After one or two sips now I can feel my scalp starting to get tingly. That is a sure sign I do not need any more. Sort of like a built in alcohol alarm. I will be using yourvmicro-sips technique Sunday for my glass of champagne at dinner.5 -
@dawnbgethealthy I watched a youtube show on Kimberly BC last night, they were showing mountain bikers on trails. Pretty place I hope to see with you when I get there! IF I get fully vaccinated by June and the borders open, I will be there, but vaccine rollout is at a standstill here. Alternative is Fall (or whenever the fire season and heat ends and the lower trails don't yet have snow).
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lisamestiza2021 wrote: »21 days AF. i know if covid wasn't going on i'd be in a different predicament altogether. happy thursday everyone
My thoughts exactly. I feel if the bars and social events were still going heavy I would have a lot more alcohol days during all this. Love all your fresh profile pics you put up. The one last week with the purple head wrap was so vibrant and beautiful.
21 days strong for you!7 -
globalhiker wrote: »Day 11 AF is here!!
No cravings yesterday but I was busy (freelancing teaching English online to adults). Also did a 5.5 mile run/walk in our hills, for sure that helped. And no supermarket trips for temptation.
NEWS ALERT: My husband is AF now 2 full days! His choice. Happened spontaneously. He tells me this morning he just looks at it as a gain, to get a better life instead of deprivation. He was beaming yesterday when his Garmin indicated his VO2 max increased to 44, showing a physiological improvement from his normal 41.
He has been a daily 4-5 beer drinker and at least half of the beers are double-IPAs. Weekends, when he works in yard or garage, the total can double. Between us all, at his age if he kept this up, I would lose him early and that is a real fear. So happy he's doing this - on his own, his way.
I can't believe he is having no symptoms or cravings or anything! He tells me he does not allow himself to think of this as a deprivation, but a gain.
That is a wonderful gift to you both that he has decided to go AF and is embracing it so well. No, you do not want to lose him. I am still in awe of your running skills in the hills.6 -
I've been AF for almost a month now and going strong. Finally starting to sleep better. 9
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@lilylady3k wine WATER wine WATER is a smart way to approach your event this weekend.
Loved your comparison from previous months.
Here are my previous February tallies from different years -
🤤2017 & before - 120 drinks🤤
2018 - 22 drinks
2019 - 27 drinks
2020 - 05 drinks
2021 - predicted 04 - 06 drinks7 -
.
Opps posted in error
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thehumanpickle wrote: »I've been AF for almost a month now and going strong. Finally starting to sleep better.
Awesome job on almost a full month AF. Your body is adjusting. Glad your sleep is improving.7 -
Love starting the day hearing good news! @lisamestiza2021 Look at you--21 days! I remember my 21st day. Got it confused with the 28 days movie with Sandra Bullock in a treatment center. So then my goal became 28 days. You must feel wonderful today. Tomorrow promises to be even better.
@globalhiker Best NEWS ALERT I've heard for the longest time! Your own quest for less just became easier. Your hubs has a great attitude. Glad it was his choice, but a "little birdie" tells me he may be led by his wife's example. Celebrating your 11th AF day in your honor with my early morn brew of choice: Fresh perked Folgers straight up!
Personally, looking forward to my first Valentine's Day AF. Not that that holiday was ever a trigger in itself since I was a daily drinker. All holidays just felt like guilt-free drinking days to me...a mere reason to join Hallmark in a few glasses of cheer. In 3 days, I plan to add Valentines Day to my holiday/event conquered list: Step Dad's hospice, funeral & estate disbursement. Christmas Eve. Christmas Day. New Years Eve. Surprise B-day party. SuperBowl.
Anyone else have a fun way of tracking drink-less achievements?8 -
Went out for a walk about half an hour ago. Every day, I say to myself, "I'll just have two or three tallboys." I get them, drink them, and then curse my body for having built up such a tolerance that I'm not even buzzing. "Quit now, you'll already have to climb Mt. Everest to get rid of all these extra calories. Ever wonder why you're so fat?"
Then another voice says, "You've already invested three tallboys worth of alcohol in your system. Why not just finish the job." Followed up by my favorite phrase: "Besides, it's THE LAST TIME." So I get two more and drink them, and I barely feel buzzed. So I go out once more for another two or three and get mildly buzzed. Then I get a lousy night's sleep (my smartwatch says I got 90 minutes the other night) and wake up in no mood to get in shape.
I started my walk thinking, "No way. You don't even have the tiniest twinge of a buzz that can be nurtured. You have no excuse." Then about two-thirds in, I began thinking, "Come on, how's about a bottle of Jack? Do you really want your last drink to be that rotgut malt liquor you drink, or something quality. You've got nothing particular to do today. Hell, that fifth of Jack isn't even going to get you drunk." Then I think, "Yeah...the last time you pulled the old 'one last fifth of Jack' shtick, you ended up going out for beer by mid-afternoon. Twelve beers and a fifth of Jack in a day? And it doesn't get you smashed? What are you doing to yourself?"
So I'm sitting upstairs here not sure what to do with my day or myself or my drinking.13 -
I am on a 2 hour zoom meeting with a Finnish lawyer and an American lawyer discussing a 29 page licence agreement.
We are on page 17 and they've just agreed they need another 2 hour call.
They are mostly arguing about hypothetical disagreements....
If I stay AF tonight I'll make myself a badge
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@CurseofDolkite -I hear what you are saying. The other night I started out with seven beers (I was only going to have four). On top of all of the beers, I drank a pint of vodka. I finally realized that I’m doing it to myself and it’s poison I’m putting it in my body and I may fool other people but not myself. It seems like I can’t get drunk enough any more, or even feel buzzed enough. Alcohol doesn’t do it for me anymore. And, I want to get to play with my grandkids some day. I have come to the realization that I can have two drinks (socially, while out) and not expect it to do anything to me, and I need to stop there.
I just had to stop kidding my self and want to be nice to my poor liver. This MFP thread is a great place to be.
There are very wise and helpful people here, who will treat you nicely.10 -
Stockholm_Andy wrote: »I am on a 2 hour zoom meeting with a Finnish lawyer and an American lawyer discussing a 29 page licence agreement.
We are on page 17 and they've just agreed they need another 2 hour call.
They are mostly arguing about hypothetical disagreements....
If I stay AF tonight I'll make myself a badge
Ugh...I did a four-hour Zoom call last month.6 -
I'm trying to keep semi-busy, doing laundry and a little picking up in the basement. I'm not craving booze right now. I feel slightly sick, not quite to the point of barfing, but I am jittery.
I only drink to get drunk; with the Covid on, I don't have people inviting me out to bars. Part of me is still saying, "Come on...if you're REALLY going to quit, why not actually get bombed instead of some wussy half-buzz?" And then I start thinking, "Maybe you need to drink faster." And then I laugh at how insane this all sounds.
At first I was just a pot smoker, but then it got to where I didn't get high anymore, so I started supplementing with booze, which worked for awhile. But now I've been drinking crazy amounts of booze and going through an eighth in a day or two.7 -
@CurseofDolkite
Don't let that little voice in your head tell you that you should have quality alcohol if this is your last EVER drink, one day at a time.
As the title of this thread says, One Day At A Time. Try thinking of what you can do for your body today, that will make your future, tomorrow self, happy.
It is too much for some of us, myself included, to think of stopping drinking forever right now and that is why I am here on the LESS alcohol thread, not NO alcohol thread.
For some people less will not work, only you can know if this has to be forever for you. I have a very close family member who came out of rehab in December and is living in a Sober House right now, we had lunch yesterday and she is working the 12 steps. For her my less alcohol approach will NOT work, she was physically addicted and had to go through detox, for her is it forever.
((hugs))8 -
Hearing everyone talk about the slippery slope with alcohol: it's a factor even for modest drinkers. The best thing to go with a beer is another beer! (And a bag of chips, of course.) I think everyone knows that it can be easier to stop than to moderate. If you want help, you are in the golden age, where you can get medical advice, medication, psychological support, and group support over zoom from your own home.
I am ever grateful that I don't have much trouble going dry, and I tend to do it every January for a few months until I get back to my goal weight. I understand that the level of difficulty varies greatly from person-to-person. But, if you can do it, it really helps and I recommend it!
I have a spin bike at home, and I've found that a session on the bike (usually while watching a fun action movie) is more relaxing than a few beers. Even if I do it at 9pm, I sleep really well afterward and wake up refreshed. I really recommend it.10 -
My February Goal for less alcohol is 20 AF Days
2/1 - AF
2/2 - AF
2/3 - AF
2/4 - AF
2/5 - 3 wine
2/6 - 1 wine
2/7 - AF
2/8 - AF
2/9 - AF
2/10- AF
Total so far =8 AF Days9 -
Fit_Happens_2021 wrote: »@CurseofDolkite
Don't let that little voice in your head tell you that you should have quality alcohol if this is your last EVER drink, one day at a time.
As the title of this thread says, One Day At A Time. Try thinking of what you can do for your body today, that will make your future, tomorrow self, happy.
It is too much for some of us, myself included, to think of stopping drinking forever right now and that is why I am here on the LESS alcohol thread, not NO alcohol thread.((hugs))
I would like to be able to have a beer or cocktail or two with someone if they ask me. It doesn't happen all that often, especially with Covid. I am not going to be one of those people who order a Coke at the bar since everyone knows that means you're an alcoholic.
Otherwise, I want to quit. If I'm not having a social drink, I'm drinking specifically to get drunk. I don't like beer or liquor enough to want to have a couple at night just to enjoy the taste. And after logging a couple of days of malt liquor on here, it's easy to see why it's been so easy for me to get and stay this fat.
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CurseofDolkite wrote: »Fit_Happens_2021 wrote: »@CurseofDolkite
Don't let that little voice in your head tell you that you should have quality alcohol if this is your last EVER drink, one day at a time.
As the title of this thread says, One Day At A Time. Try thinking of what you can do for your body today, that will make your future, tomorrow self, happy.
It is too much for some of us, myself included, to think of stopping drinking forever right now and that is why I am here on the LESS alcohol thread, not NO alcohol thread.((hugs))
I would like to be able to have a beer or cocktail or two with someone if they ask me. It doesn't happen all that often, especially with Covid. I am not going to be one of those people who order a Coke at the bar since everyone knows that means you're an alcoholic.
Otherwise, I want to quit. If I'm not having a social drink, I'm drinking specifically to get drunk. I don't like beer or liquor enough to want to have a couple at night just to enjoy the taste. And after logging a couple of days of malt liquor on here, it's easy to see why it's been so easy for me to get and stay this fat.
I think trying that way and see if it works well for you is a great plan. If it doesn't you can reassess, remember you are the boss, you have the power!
Now I have that Snap song going through my head! hahaha
I'm gonna make it my song for the day when I do my VR cardio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1BNcSBApOU&ab_channel=SnapVEVO
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Stockholm_Andy wrote: »I am on a 2 hour zoom meeting with a Finnish lawyer and an American lawyer discussing a 29 page licence agreement.
We are on page 17 and they've just agreed they need another 2 hour call.
They are mostly arguing about hypothetical disagreements....
If I stay AF tonight I'll make myself a badge
I would be pulling my hair out and BALD (heaven forbid) by now. Deep breaths. We do hand out badges.😊5 -
CurseofDolkite wrote: »Went out for a walk about half an hour ago. Every day, I say to myself, "I'll just have two or three tallboys." I get them, drink them, and then curse my body for having built up such a tolerance that I'm not even buzzing. "Quit now, you'll already have to climb Mt. Everest to get rid of all these extra calories. Ever wonder why you're so fat?"
Then another voice says, "You've already invested three tallboys worth of alcohol in your system. Why not just finish the job." Followed up by my favorite phrase: "Besides, it's THE LAST TIME." So I get two more and drink them, and I barely feel buzzed. So I go out once more for another two or three and get mildly buzzed. Then I get a lousy night's sleep (my smartwatch says I got 90 minutes the other night) and wake up in no mood to get in shape.
I started my walk thinking, "No way. You don't even have the tiniest twinge of a buzz that can be nurtured. You have no excuse." Then about two-thirds in, I began thinking, "Come on, how's about a bottle of Jack? Do you really want your last drink to be that rotgut malt liquor you drink, or something quality. You've got nothing particular to do today. Hell, that fifth of Jack isn't even going to get you drunk." Then I think, "Yeah...the last time you pulled the old 'one last fifth of Jack' shtick, you ended up going out for beer by mid-afternoon. Twelve beers and a fifth of Jack in a day? And it doesn't get you smashed? What are you doing to yourself?"
So I'm sitting upstairs here not sure what to do with my day or myself or my drinking.
@HerNameIsMischief new profile and name?5 -
Fit_Happens_2021 wrote: »My February Goal for less alcohol is 20 AF Days
2/1 - AF
2/2 - AF
2/3 - AF
2/4 - AF
2/5 - 3 wine
2/6 - 1 wine
2/7 - AF
2/8 - AF
2/9 - AF
2/10- AF
Total so far =8 AF Days
Pick'n away at the goal. Great accountability @Fit_Happens_20214 -
@lilylady3k wine WATER wine WATER is a smart way to approach your event this weekend.
Loved your comparison from previous months.
Here are my previous February tallies from different years -
🤤2017 & before - 120 drinks🤤
2018 - 22 drinks
2019 - 27 drinks
2020 - 05 drinks
2021 - predicted 04 - 06 drinks
@MissMay - You've come a long way on a journey that has been enlightening I'm sure. Thank you for setting an example for all of us following in your path.6 -
CurseofDolkite wrote: »Fit_Happens_2021 wrote: »@CurseofDolkite
Don't let that little voice in your head tell you that you should have quality alcohol if this is your last EVER drink, one day at a time.
As the title of this thread says, One Day At A Time. Try thinking of what you can do for your body today, that will make your future, tomorrow self, happy.
It is too much for some of us, myself included, to think of stopping drinking forever right now and that is why I am here on the LESS alcohol thread, not NO alcohol thread.((hugs))
I would like to be able to have a beer or cocktail or two with someone if they ask me. It doesn't happen all that often, especially with Covid. I am not going to be one of those people who order a Coke at the bar since everyone knows that means you're an alcoholic.
Otherwise, I want to quit. If I'm not having a social drink, I'm drinking specifically to get drunk. I don't like beer or liquor enough to want to have a couple at night just to enjoy the taste. And after logging a couple of days of malt liquor on here, it's easy to see why it's been so easy for me to get and stay this fat.
Catching up in here and saw this. First off, I can honestly say that out of everyone I've gone to bars with who didn't drink alcohol, only one of them was a (known) alcoholic. The others:
-Avoid alcohol for religious reasons
-Choose to not drink because of bad experiences with an alcoholic or are in the medical field
-Are taking medication, including myself - I don't want to drink alcohol if I have to take a pain med
-Are working on losing weight
-Are in "dry season" because they're training for an athletic event
-Are uncomfortable drinking anything and driving
-Didn't like the selection
-Have a weekly limit on drinks
-Just weren't in the mood for alcohol that night
As a random patron, if I overheard you order a Coke, I'd never jump straight to "must be an alcoholic." Plus most of the recovering alcoholics I know avoid bars like the plague because it's too triggering.
Also, who is "everyone", and why does it matter what they think? Other patrons are probably not going to have a clue what you're drinking or why, the bartenders see all kinds of people from all walks of life ordering all kinds of things (see above), and if you're there with close friends or family, hopefully they're supportive and want you to make the best choices for you. If it's a rare happy hour situation with acquaintances and you're uncomfortable stating you have a drinking problem, give one of the many reasons listed above and they'll leave you alone (medication is the safest bet, people can be *kitten* and lay on the peer pressure if your reason isn't "good enough" to them but medical things are Personal.)
Basically, if alcohol is incredibly damaging to your life and you eventually decide you need to cut it out entirely, do that because it's good for you, and don't worry about a hypothetical situation where some rando at a bar might make assumptions about you. It IS appealing to be able to drink socially, but... worry about that when you get there, and make the best choice then? One day at a time.12 -
Feb 1-7: 6.5 drinks
Feb 8: AF
Feb 9: AF
Feb 10: AF
So... I am generally not doing well. I've taken one step forward and two steps back in surgery recovery, I'm miserably hungry, I'm getting about 4 hours of sleep a night, and I'm so cold all the time. And then there's little things, like I'm playing one of those dumb interior design games and no one likes my designs, which ends up spiraling into EVERYONE HATES ME because I'm too tired to be rational about it. I had to step back from here for a few days because I was feeling...not good enough? I drank as much in a week as @MissMay will drink in a month, so even though it's a moderate amount, very much in line with my goals, and a number my doctor would be fine with, I felt guilty. AND I SHOULDN'T! And I don't think I'm the only one who sees other people racking up a ton of AF days and wondering if they're failing somehow... So for myself and for those people, you're not failing. You're doing just fine.
More positively: I don't think Husband took me seriously last week when I told him I had exactly a year to lose 45 lbs. We had another talk about it Monday night after I was whinging about being so frikkin hungry, and he admitted he's really unhappy with his weight and worried about his health, so he's back on the wagon with my for now. 3 consecutive days AF so far. I very much wanted a glass of red wine last night, but since he wasn't drinking, I stuck to tea. He's going to have to blink first
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@Lilylady3k I recognize a couple of those cheeses, but some are new to me! Dairymaids is on my list the next time I'm in the Houston area. We go to the Dallas equivalent here frequently, but I'm pretty excited to see they carry some different things.5
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@chocolate_owl you should not feel guilty in the least. There aren't two people in here with the same exact goals for cutting back. It is not how many AF days you aquire or chalk up consecutively.
Its each persons own path, own rate of drinking less by days or glasses. Must be hard to have surgery pain and want to not drink during it.
I Feel bad you are going through that. But dont hide out. Your story is worth reading no matter how slow it is going at this time. Your NOT failing.7
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